Crocs, those quirky, brightly colored rubber clogs, may have fallen out of fashion with the masses since 2007. But for nurses and doctors, the comfortable and easy-to-clean shoes are a lifeline.
That might explain why British hospital staff are outraged over the U.K. National Health Service banning Crocs, reports The Telegraph.
The reason for the ban? Hospitals point to health and safety -- they are concerned sharp objects like syringes could pierce through the iconic holes, reports The Daily Mail.
One nurse, infuriated by the move, told the Daily Mail other, more important, issues should take precedence. "It would be interesting to see what the public think of this as it's their NHS. We should be more concerned with care delivery," she said. "I'm sure no one really cares what's on our feet as we don't look at patients and their families and judge them on what they're wearing."
According to Business Insider, the ban comes on the heels of similar moves at hospitals in the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Austria.
In 2010, the Associated Press reported that the Colorado-based footwear company agreed to pay $230,000 in EPA fines over false claims that the shoes were antimicrobial. Crocs have since stopped using that description.
The Crocs ban should please fashionistas who abhor the shoe, along with followers of the I Hate Crocs Blog and Facebook's 1.6 million members of the I Dont Care How Comfortable Crocs Are, You Look Like A Dumb ***.